NEWS ARCHIVE

Local Red Cross needs for more volunteers

String of fires has Northern Vermont Chapter in need of helping hands

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Updated: 5:57 PM EST Nov 27, 2012

A string of fires in Vermont has the American Red Cross looking for reinforcements. After eight fires in four days, the Northern Vermont chapter wants to add more volunteers to it's already 250 established helpers

Local Red Cross needs for more volunteers

String of fires has Northern Vermont Chapter in need of helping hands

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Updated: 5:57 PM EST Nov 27, 2012

BURLINGTON, Vt. —

A recent string of fires in Vermont has the American Red Cross looking for reinforcements.

"If we can help them a little bit through their trauma, we get a lot of satisfaction from that, and hopefully we can help them out as well," said Alan Hunt.

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Hunt was one of the Red Cross volunteers who responded to a house fire Monday in Isle La Motte, Vt. While he stressed the work is rewarding, after 12 years of volunteering some things never get easier.

"We found the homeowner who was obviously very very upset, had lost a house that she loved and a dog that she loved," said Hunt.

Red Cross volunteers like Hunt have been pretty busy lately. They've offered emergency services to eight fires in four days, including a fire on Kellogg Road in St. Albans Town, which left the resident of 20 years without a place to stay.

Another fire on Congress Street in the city of St. Albans made a house temporarily uninhabitable.

"We have volunteers going in many different directions, that starts to put a strain on our volunteer core," said Doug Bishop of the Northern Vermont Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Now, his chapter is looking to add to its already 250 established volunteers.

"Which may sound like a large number, but at any given time, only 30 percent are potentially available to answer the call," said Bishop.

"I didn't really do a lot, and I wanted to do more for people that need help," said Jessica Gilpin.

After seeing some of the recent damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, Gilpin just signed up to volunteer -- a move current volunteers, like Hunt, say is completely worth her while.

"I do a lot of volunteering with different organizations, they're very different experiences, they're all gratifying, but nothing quite like this," said Hunt.

For more information on how you can become a volunteer at the Red Cross, click here. All training expenses are covered and no experience is necessary.